Encino Man
Encyclopedia
Encino Man, released in Europe
as California Man, is a 1992
comedy film
directed by Les Mayfield and starring Brendan Fraser
, Sean Astin
and Pauly Shore
. The plot revolves around two geeky teenagers from Encino, Los Angeles, California played by Astin and Shore, who discover a caveman
in their backyard frozen in a block of ice. The caveman, played by Fraser, has to learn to live in the new 20th century. Along the way, he teaches them about life. It was followed by a TV movie
sequel
, Encino Woman, in 1996.
where a caveman
attempts to make fire with his girlfriend, however there is an earthquake
that causes a cave-in
that buries the two of them. This segues into a present-day Los Angeles
earthquake that awakens average teenager Dave Morgan (Sean Astin
) who, along with his best friend Stanley "Stoney" Brown (Pauly Shore
) strive to attain popularity in high school
but come off more as rejects and outcasts. Dave is in love with Robyn (Megan Ward
) a sweet and attractive girl who has been his best friend since grade school, and until she reached "babehood" had been rejected by Dave on several occasions. Her boyfriend Matt (Michael DeLuise
) is a dim witted jock and school bully
who is constantly responsible for making both Dave and Stoney the objects of ridicule by embarrassing them in various ways, usually directly due to Dave's growing affections toward Robyn.
One day, as Dave is digging a pool in his back yard, he comes across a chunk of ice that has the body of a man in it. They leave the ice block unattended in the garage and space heaters left on cause the ice to melt, releasing the caveman (Brendan Fraser
) from the opening of the film. The caveman falls head first into the 20th century, discovering a garbage truck which he misinterprets as a mammoth
from his time, and television which he discovers upon entering Dave's house. When the boys return home, they find hand paint covering the walls and the house is in disarray. Upon investigating a fire
they discover the caveman in Dave's bedroom, and Stoney quickly calms him by using a lighter to mesmerize him. After cleaning him and trimming him to look like an average teenager, Dave names him "Link" as in the missing link
. They manage to fool Dave's family into thinking he is actually an Estonian
exchange student sent to live with them, and enroll him in school where Link's bizarre behavior and supreme athletic skills clear shoot Dave and Stoney to popularity by association allowing Dave to get closer to Robyn, to Matt's chagrin. It soon becomes apparent that Stoney's bizarre attitude is having an affect on Link's actions and speech, which causes a rift between Dave and Stoney and after a fight with Matt at a skating rink, as well as an attraction developing between Robyn and Link, Dave tries to send Link away, but a fight between him and Stoney cause Link to come running back. On prom night
Link is a hit at the party with Robyn as his date while Dave stays in for the evening. Matt breaks into Dave's bedroom and steals photographic evidence that Link is a caveman, but his plan to uncover the "freak" backfires as the information instead makes him even more popular. Dave and Robyn make up, and the three boys lead the entire prom in an impromptu caveman-like dance.
After the prom, the students attend Dave's house for a pool party where Dave and Robyn kiss. Meanwhile, Stoney and Link follow clues similar to when they found him and discover a beautiful cavewoman (Sandra Hess
) who turns out to be Link's girlfriend from the beginning of the film. He joins her in the bathtub as Stoney cheers them on and embraces her happily.
. Despite the low rating, the film was a box-office success.
Pauly Shore's performance in Encino Man won him the Razzie Award for Worst New Star.
in the 1993 movie Son-in-Law
, which also stars Pauly Shore. Fraser also briefly appears as a soldier with the name "Link" on his fatigues in In the Army Now starring Shore.
In Evan Wright
's book about the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Generation Kill, the US Marine company commander is nicknamed Encino Man, supposedly for his resemblance to one of the film's characters. In the 2008 HBO miniseries of adaptation of the book the officer is played by Brian Patrick Wade
.
The 1999 South Park
Episode entitled Prehistoric Ice Man was a parody of the movie, wherein the boys find a man that has been frozen in ice since 1996. Everyone in the episode acts as though this is a breakthrough discovery, and a chance to find out what life was really like in 1996.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
as California Man, is a 1992
1992 in film
The year 1992 in film involved many significant films. -Top grossing films:-Awards:Academy AwardsGolden Globe AwardsNational Film Awards...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed by Les Mayfield and starring Brendan Fraser
Brendan Fraser
Brendan James Fraser is a Canadian-American film and stage actor. Fraser portrayed Rick O'Connell in the three-part Mummy film series , and is known for his comedic and fantasy film leading roles in major Hollywood films, including Encino Man , George of the Jungle , Dudley Do-Right , Monkeybone ,...
, Sean Astin
Sean Astin
Sean Astin is an American film actor, director, voice artist, and producer better known for his film roles as Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, the title character of Rudy, and Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In television, he appeared as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24...
and Pauly Shore
Pauly Shore
Paul Montgomery "Pauly" Shore is an American comedian and actor who starred in several comedy films in the 1990s and hosted a video show on MTV in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
. The plot revolves around two geeky teenagers from Encino, Los Angeles, California played by Astin and Shore, who discover a caveman
Caveman
A caveman or troglodyte is a stock character based upon widespread concepts of the way in which early prehistoric humans may have looked and behaved...
in their backyard frozen in a block of ice. The caveman, played by Fraser, has to learn to live in the new 20th century. Along the way, he teaches them about life. It was followed by a TV movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, Encino Woman, in 1996.
Plot
The film opens during the first ice ageIce age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
where a caveman
Caveman
A caveman or troglodyte is a stock character based upon widespread concepts of the way in which early prehistoric humans may have looked and behaved...
attempts to make fire with his girlfriend, however there is an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
that causes a cave-in
Cave-in
A cave-in is a collapse of a geologic formation, mine or structure which typically occurs during mining or tunneling. Geologic structures prone to cave-ins include alvar, tsingy and other limestone formations, but can also include lava tubes and a variety of other subsurface rock formations.In...
that buries the two of them. This segues into a present-day Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
earthquake that awakens average teenager Dave Morgan (Sean Astin
Sean Astin
Sean Astin is an American film actor, director, voice artist, and producer better known for his film roles as Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, the title character of Rudy, and Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In television, he appeared as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24...
) who, along with his best friend Stanley "Stoney" Brown (Pauly Shore
Pauly Shore
Paul Montgomery "Pauly" Shore is an American comedian and actor who starred in several comedy films in the 1990s and hosted a video show on MTV in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
) strive to attain popularity in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
but come off more as rejects and outcasts. Dave is in love with Robyn (Megan Ward
Megan Ward
Megan Marie Ward is an American actress best known for her numerous credits in science fiction and horror movies and television series...
) a sweet and attractive girl who has been his best friend since grade school, and until she reached "babehood" had been rejected by Dave on several occasions. Her boyfriend Matt (Michael DeLuise
Michael DeLuise
Michael Robert DeLuise is an American actor, film director, and film producer.-Early life and career:DeLuise was born in Los Angeles, the second son of actor and comedian Dom DeLuise and actress Carol Arthur, and the brother of actor, writer, director Peter DeLuise and actor David DeLuise.DeLuise...
) is a dim witted jock and school bully
Bully
Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior manifested by the use of force or coercion to affect others, particularly when the behavior is habitual and involves an imbalance of power...
who is constantly responsible for making both Dave and Stoney the objects of ridicule by embarrassing them in various ways, usually directly due to Dave's growing affections toward Robyn.
One day, as Dave is digging a pool in his back yard, he comes across a chunk of ice that has the body of a man in it. They leave the ice block unattended in the garage and space heaters left on cause the ice to melt, releasing the caveman (Brendan Fraser
Brendan Fraser
Brendan James Fraser is a Canadian-American film and stage actor. Fraser portrayed Rick O'Connell in the three-part Mummy film series , and is known for his comedic and fantasy film leading roles in major Hollywood films, including Encino Man , George of the Jungle , Dudley Do-Right , Monkeybone ,...
) from the opening of the film. The caveman falls head first into the 20th century, discovering a garbage truck which he misinterprets as a mammoth
Mammoth
A mammoth is any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus. These proboscideans are members of Elephantidae, the family of elephants and mammoths, and close relatives of modern elephants. They were often equipped with long curved tusks and, in northern species, a covering of long hair...
from his time, and television which he discovers upon entering Dave's house. When the boys return home, they find hand paint covering the walls and the house is in disarray. Upon investigating a fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
they discover the caveman in Dave's bedroom, and Stoney quickly calms him by using a lighter to mesmerize him. After cleaning him and trimming him to look like an average teenager, Dave names him "Link" as in the missing link
Missing Link
Missing link is a nonscientific term for any transitional fossil, especially one connected with human evolution; see Transitional fossil - Missing links and List of transitonal fossils - Human evolution.Missing Link may refer to:...
. They manage to fool Dave's family into thinking he is actually an Estonian
Estonian
Estonian may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe* Estonians – people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent...
exchange student sent to live with them, and enroll him in school where Link's bizarre behavior and supreme athletic skills clear shoot Dave and Stoney to popularity by association allowing Dave to get closer to Robyn, to Matt's chagrin. It soon becomes apparent that Stoney's bizarre attitude is having an affect on Link's actions and speech, which causes a rift between Dave and Stoney and after a fight with Matt at a skating rink, as well as an attraction developing between Robyn and Link, Dave tries to send Link away, but a fight between him and Stoney cause Link to come running back. On prom night
Prom Night
Prom Night refers to:* Prom, a dance for American and Canadian high school students* Prom Night , starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Leslie Nielsen* Prom Night , a re-imagining of the 1980 film starring Brittany Snow and Idris Elba...
Link is a hit at the party with Robyn as his date while Dave stays in for the evening. Matt breaks into Dave's bedroom and steals photographic evidence that Link is a caveman, but his plan to uncover the "freak" backfires as the information instead makes him even more popular. Dave and Robyn make up, and the three boys lead the entire prom in an impromptu caveman-like dance.
After the prom, the students attend Dave's house for a pool party where Dave and Robyn kiss. Meanwhile, Stoney and Link follow clues similar to when they found him and discover a beautiful cavewoman (Sandra Hess
Sandra Hess
Sandra Hess is an actress best known for her role as Sonya Blade in the film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.-Biography:Hess began modeling and working on television commercials when she was 15...
) who turns out to be Link's girlfriend from the beginning of the film. He joins her in the bathtub as Stoney cheers them on and embraces her happily.
Reception
The film gained a mostly negative reaction from critics. Encino Man currently holds a 17% rating on the aggregate film review site Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Despite the low rating, the film was a box-office success.
Pauly Shore's performance in Encino Man won him the Razzie Award for Worst New Star.
Cast
- Sean AstinSean AstinSean Astin is an American film actor, director, voice artist, and producer better known for his film roles as Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, the title character of Rudy, and Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In television, he appeared as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24...
as Dave Morgan, a tense, almost neurotic teenager who is in love with Robyn, despite losing his chance with her in grade school because he thought she was not attractive yet. He dreams of popularity more than his friends and is the most worried about being labeled as a freak if Link's secret ever got out. - Brendan FraserBrendan FraserBrendan James Fraser is a Canadian-American film and stage actor. Fraser portrayed Rick O'Connell in the three-part Mummy film series , and is known for his comedic and fantasy film leading roles in major Hollywood films, including Encino Man , George of the Jungle , Dudley Do-Right , Monkeybone ,...
as Linkavitch "Link" Chomofsky, a caveman found in the 20th Century when Dave and Stoney dig up a block of ice in which he is frozen. He is very friendly despite being very fierce and aggressive in his mannerisms. Still acclimating to the new world, he often misinterprets various common aspects of everyday life. - Pauly ShorePauly ShorePaul Montgomery "Pauly" Shore is an American comedian and actor who starred in several comedy films in the 1990s and hosted a video show on MTV in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
as Stanley "Stoney" Brown, a loud, obnoxious Hippie/New Wave teenager whose lease on life is profound and deeper than his thoughts seem to go. He is compassionate and quick thinking, able to soothe Link's primal instincts by showing him how to harness fire. He becomes Link's best friend and role model, eventually causing Link to imitate him. - Megan WardMegan WardMegan Marie Ward is an American actress best known for her numerous credits in science fiction and horror movies and television series...
as Robyn Sweeney a kind, compassionate girl going out with the jock bully Matt Wilson. She attempts to maintain friendships with Dave and Stoney but is often put off by their childish mannerisms, However she is already showing signs of growing tired of Matt's snobby and egotistical ways. She eventually realizes the depth of her friendship with Dave and breaks up with Matt after he starts bullying him. - Robin TunneyRobin TunneyRobin Jessica Tunney is an American actress. She is best known for her lead roles in the movie The Craft and the television series Prison Break and The Mentalist.-Early life:...
as Ella, a vain, self-centered girl and Robyn's best friend. She attempts to gain Link's attention by flaunting her 'gonzagas' at him. She is rebuffed, however and learns that Link had a former love, and he has no interest in anyone else. - Michael DeLuiseMichael DeLuiseMichael Robert DeLuise is an American actor, film director, and film producer.-Early life and career:DeLuise was born in Los Angeles, the second son of actor and comedian Dom DeLuise and actress Carol Arthur, and the brother of actor, writer, director Peter DeLuise and actor David DeLuise.DeLuise...
as Matt Wilson, a popular jock and notorious school bully who has made it his passion in life to torment, bully and humiliate Dave. He tends to keep his distance from Stoney who merely shrugs off his intimidation attempts. He is very stuck up and the thought of Dave becoming more popular than he is causes a great deal of conflict, eventually causing him to lose the one thing Dave wants that he has; Robyn. - Patrick Van HornPatrick Van HornPatrick Van Horn is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Sue in the 1996 film Swingers, starring alongside real-life friends Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn and Ron Livingston...
as Phil - Dalton JamesDalton JamesDalton James is an American actor. He was born in Sacramento, California.-Biography:Dalton played the role of Hank Bennett on Passions and the role of Mark Reese on Beverly Hills, 90210. He was also in the movie My Father the Hero. He was introduced in the last episode of MacGyver as MacGyver's...
as Will - Rick DucommunRick DucommunRichard "Rick" Ducommun is a Canadian actor and comedian, often seen in supporting roles on both television and the silver screen.Ducommun was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan...
as Mr. Brush - Jonathan Ke Quan as Kim
- Rose McGowanRose McGowanRose Arianna McGowan is an actress and singer. She is known for her role as Paige Matthews in The WB Television Network supernatural drama series Charmed. She played Ann-Margret alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley in the CBS mini-series Elvis...
as Nora - Michole White as Kathleen
- Mariette HartleyMariette HartleyMary Loretta "Mariette" Hartley is an American character actress.-Personal life:Hartley was born in Weston, Connecticut, the daughter of Mary Ickes “Polly” , a manager and saleswoman, and Paul Hembree Hartley, an account executive. Her maternal grandfather was psychologist John B...
as Mrs. Morgan - Richard MasurRichard MasurRichard Masur is an American actor who has appeared in more than 80 movies during his career. From 1995-1999, he served two terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild . Masur sits on the Corporate Board of the Motion Picture & Television Fund.-Biography:Masur was born in New York City to a...
as Mr. Morgan - Ellen Blain as Tenna Morgan
- Mike Diamente as Steve Morgan
- Erick AvariErick AvariErick Avari is an Indian American television, film and theater actor known for his roles in various science-fiction serial productions.-Early life:...
as Raji - Gerry BednobGerry Bednob-Career:Gerry currently appears as Bling Bling Shelton in Free Radio on Vh1. He had a role in the 2010 film Furry Vengeance, with Brendan Fraser and Brooke Shields, playing Mr. Gupta. He is also the uncle of Michelle Jhagroo.- Filmography :...
as Kashmir
In popular culture
Link, again played by Fraser, makes a cameo appearanceCameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the 1993 movie Son-in-Law
Son in Law
Son in Law is a 1993 comedy film starring Pauly Shore, Carla Gugino, Lane Smith, Cindy Pickett, Tiffani Thiessen, Patrick Renna, Dan Gauthier and Dennis Burkley.-Plot:...
, which also stars Pauly Shore. Fraser also briefly appears as a soldier with the name "Link" on his fatigues in In the Army Now starring Shore.
In Evan Wright
Evan Wright
Evan Wright is an American writer, journalist, author and television writer and producer. He has reported extensively on subcultures for Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair. His latest work is American Desperado, a book he co-wrote with Jon Roberts, who was featured in the documentary the Cocaine...
's book about the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Generation Kill, the US Marine company commander is nicknamed Encino Man, supposedly for his resemblance to one of the film's characters. In the 2008 HBO miniseries of adaptation of the book the officer is played by Brian Patrick Wade
Brian Patrick Wade
Brian Patrick Wade is an American actor notable for his roles as Cpt. Craig 'Encino Man' Schwetje in the mini-series Generation Kill and as Kurt in The Big Bang Theory.-Career:...
.
The 1999 South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
Episode entitled Prehistoric Ice Man was a parody of the movie, wherein the boys find a man that has been frozen in ice since 1996. Everyone in the episode acts as though this is a breakthrough discovery, and a chance to find out what life was really like in 1996.